Oventi shooting for September opening in Napa

The “coming soon/now hiring” sign has been up for a while at the former Marie Callender’s on the high-profile intersection of Trower Avenue and Highway 29, and now, property owner Cyrus Mousavi says the project is finally coming together.

Oventi Restaurant and Bakery will open on Sept. 1, “if all goes as planned,” Mousavi said (as is the mantra in new restaurant development).

Mousavi, a Silicon Valley investor and former restaurant owner in Europe, said his cleaning crews had to scour every inch of the building, which had sat vacant for more than a year and apparently hadn’t been well maintained previously. But thanks to the wonders of elbow grease and fresh paint, Oventi will emerge as a casual American-Italian eatery designed more for reasonably priced comfort meals than culinary flash.

The menu is still “a work in progress,” Mousavi said, but we can expect steaks, pasta, burgers and such, plus specialties including some Spanish, Greek and Basque dishes. Marie’s old bakery will be put back to work, too, producing breads, rolls and desserts for dine-in as well as retail sales.